Fractionating apparatus



1,94s,5oo Y Feb. 27, 1934. R. w. BIELFELDT FRACTIONATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 28, 1951 Patented Feb. y 27, 1934 1.94am l FBACTIONATING APPARATUS Raymond W. Bieli'eldt, Thornton. Ill.

Application september za. 1931 serial No. 565.480

o claims. (ci. zei-114) The invention relates to tionating oil.

One object of thel invention is to provide improved means for emcient contacting of liquid l and vapor in fractionating oil which eliminates liquid 'entrainment, for producing a high grade of oil or gasoline, and which is of high volumetric capacity.

Another object is to provide a construction of l bubble-cap for fractionating towers, which causes the vapor from one cap to contact with the liquid from the down-:now from a tray above. Heretofore it has been the practice to discharge the down-flow out of operative relation to the caps, which necessitated transverse travel of the liquor apparatus for fracand resulted in different temperatures and con# u struction of bubble-cap.

Other objects will appear from the description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

. In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic section of a fractionating tower. Fig. 2 is a section of one of the bubble-caps. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is asection on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

prising a shell l which is provided with a vertical series of cross-walls 11 which form trays for retaining columns of oil and divide the tower into chambers 9. A -pipe 12 delivers crude oil to one of the chambers 9. An outlet pipe 13 ior the vaporis connected to the top of the tower. Pipe 14 delivers high pressure steam into the tower. Pipes 15 are provided to drain diierent grades of -oil from the tower. The heavy oil or residuum is 'I'he invention is exemplified in a tower com vapor from one chamber 9 will upwardly to the next chamber in the series. A primary deflector for directing the vapor downwardly against or through the `liquid over the nipples 19 comprises an annular top wall 2l which acts as a gg baille, and integralv depending Vinner and' outer annular side-walls 22 and 23 whichare spaced from the nipples .and deflect the vapor downwardly into the liquid. 'I'he lower ends of walls 22 and 23 are spaced from the base 16 so the vapor can pass laterally/.thereunder and through the liquid. 'I'hese side walls are uted or grooved vertically. Slots 24 are formed in the lower portion of the inner annular side-wall 22 of the deiiector to divide the vaporinto streams and wall 23 has slots 25 for the same purpose. .The slots 24 extend higher than the s1ots25 so thev primary iiow of vapor from the delector will be through the liquid and toward the center of the deiiector and the discharge through slots 25 will be secu ondary. This deflector is provided with lugs 26 which seat on the upper ends of the nipples 19 to support the deflector so it can be easily replaced or removed, when desired. This exempliiles a bubble-cap with a series of upwardly dis- 8 charging ducts and a deector whichwill cause the vapor to ow primarily toward the center of the cap.

A reflux deiiector for the vapor comprises a cen- `tral tubular wall 27, and an upwardly extending as and outwardly flared wall 28 with its marginal portion'29 curved upwardly and outwardly and Y then downwardly as at 29' over the primary deflector to deiiect the vapor from the centralv portion of the primary defiector downwardly toward the liquid. Lugs or feet 30 depend from the underside of the wall 28 and engage the top'wall of the primary deflector, to properly space the reflux deflector from the primary. This exemplies a,- reiiux deector for directing the vapor fromthe 95 boiling mixture around the inner wall of the primary deflector, back to the liquid for further mixing. I

An overow nipple 31 which causes a column of liquid of the desired height to be maintained in each chamber 9, extends upwardly from the base 16, is centrally disposed in and spaced'from the tubular deilector wall 27, and its upper end terminates below a cross-wall 32 joined to said tubular wall, to permit the liquid in the tray or chamber 9 as it rises abovethe level of the upper end of the nipple, to ilow under the lower end of tubular wall 27, upwardly between said wall and nipple 3l and over the top of the nipple into the downwardly extending duct therein. The annu-v no,

lar wall 28 and the cross-wall 32 of the reflux deiiector form a hood to prevent vapor from passing into the overflow. A pipe 32 is connected to the base 16 and leads downwardly to discharge the overow into a weir 33 in the top of the bubble cap in the subjacent chamber 9. This weir is formedby the walls 32 and 28 of the reflux deflector and an annular vertical wall 34. The liquid overiiows wall 34, spreads over the top wall of the reux deector. and is contacted with the blast of vapor which is deflected downwardly and outwardly by the under side of wall 29. A bolt 36 holds the reiiux deector on the top of the primary deilector, so both deectors will be held against upward displacement. This exemplifies a bubble-cap onto which the downilow of liquid from a superiacent cap or chamber is discharged. so it will be contacted by and subjectedio the action oi the refluxed vapor from the cap in the subjacent chamber; and also a cap with a central overflow for that purpose.

In operation, the chambers 9 will retain liquid oil supplied by pipe 12 approximately at the level of the tops of the overflow nipples 31. Superheated steam is admitted to the tower to flash the oil into vapor, as well understood in the art. This vapor passes successively from one chamber 9 to the superjacent chamber, through the ducts 20 in nipples 19 of the caps. These ducts act as iniectors to draw the vapor from the top of one chamber 9 into caps in the next chamber. The vapor is discharged from nipples 19 against the .top wall 21 which acts as a baiiie. Next the vapor passes downwardly in the deiiector and through slots 24 to the space within the annular wall 22. This causes the vapor to contact and mix with the liquid oil. The vapor next passes upwardly through the annular space between side wall 22 and tubular wall 2'7, and under flared wall 28 which deflects the vapor outwardly to the downwardly curved wall 29. The latter directs the vapor downwardly to the liquid on the bottom of the chamber 9 around the cap. This results in the reflux mixing. A secondary volume of the vapor passes under the outer side wall 23 of the cap, contacts with and bubbles through the liquid around the cap. The overflow liquid passes into the top of nipple 31 and flows downward to the weir 33 .in the cap of the subjacent chamber. 'I'he liquid in each weir overflows lts wall 34, spreads over the top of deilector wall 29 and as it passes off said wall it is mixed with the vapor from the cap. This causes mixing of the vapor from the' cap with the downflow at a point above the liquid level.

The use of a plurality of inlets or iets for the vapor in each cap, the reflux mixing produced by the second deflector, and the mixing of the downficw liquid with the vapor, above/ the liquid level, result in eiilciently separatingv the lighter oils from the crude and produce a high grade of oil. These also cause circulation of the liquid which prevents the settlement of the sediment in the chambers. The plurality oi' overflow ducts in each cap greatly increase the` capacity of the tower. The overflow for the liquid is in the center of the annular zone where the vapor mixes with the liquid without substantial transverse travel of the liquid to reach the downflow. When there is such travel, different temperatures are produced in difl'erent portions of the chamber, and this retards fractionation. The improved cap is simple in construction and a single bolt serves to hold both deflectors on the base. These`caps give the tower a high volumetric capacity. The

redux mixing prevents entrainment when the tower is forced beyond its intended capacity, and this avoids producing an inferior grade of oil. The provision of a down-take for each cap produces uniform distribution and iiow of the liquid in each chamber.

I claim: v

1. In fractionating apparatus, the combination oi' a bubble-cap comprising an upwardly discharging duct for vapor, a primary deilector for directing the vapor' downwardly to mix with the liquid in the chamber, comprising an annular depending wall, a tubular defiector inside of and separated from the depending wall and an overflow conduit inside of the tubular wall.

2. In a bubble-cap, the combination of a member having a plurality of upwardly discharging nipples therein, a separately formed deiiector for the vapor from and supported on the nipples, comprising annular inner and outer depending walls, a separately formed reflux deflector mounted on the primary deflector, and a bolt for securing both deflectors on said member.

3. In a bubble-cap, the combination of a inember having a plurality of upwardly discharging nipples therein, a separately formed defiector for the vapor from and supported on the nipples, comprising annular inner and outer depending walls, a reflux deflector for the vapor from the inner wall, and an overflow nipple under the reflux deflector.

4. In vapor and liquid contacting devices for use in fractionating towers, a cap comprising a member having an upwardly discharging nipple, a primary defiector over and around the nipple and provided with inner and outer annular depending walls under which vapor may pass, and a reflux defiector having means for directing vapor upwardly from the space inside of the inner wall, over the top and to the space around the outside of the outer annular wall of the primary deilector.

5. In vapor and liquid contacting devices for use in fractionating towers, a cap comprising a memberhaving a plurality of upwardly discharging nipples, a primary deector extending over and around the nipples and provided with inner and outer annular depending walls under both of which vapor may pass, and a reflux deilector having means for directing vapor upwardly from the space inside of the inner wall to the outside of the outer annular wall of the primary deilector.

6. In vapor and liquid contacting devices for use in fractionating towers, a cap comprising a plate having an upwardly extending overflow nipple and an upwardly extending discharge nipple, a primary deilector over and around the discharge nipple comprising inner and cuter annular depending walls, and a reflux deflector having an annular wall for directing the vapor upward from the space between the inner deflector wall and the overflow nipple andover the primary defiector to the outside of the outer wall.

7. In vapor and liquid contacting devices for use in fractionating towers, a cap comprising a plate having an upwardly extending overflow nipple and a plurality of upwardly extending discharge nipples, a primary deflector over and around the discharge nipples comprising inner and outer annular depending walls under which vapor may pass, and a reflux deiiector comprising an annular wall between the overflow nipple and the inner annular wall of the primary deector and an extension for directing the vapor from the inner wall over the primary detlector and to the outside thereof.

8. In vapor and liquid contacting devices for use in fractionating towers, a cap comprising a l plate having an upwardly extending overiiow nipple and a plurality of upwardly extending and discharging discharge nipples, a primary deflector over and around the discharge nipples comprising inner and outer annular depending l Walls, a reflux deector over the overflow nipple and comprising an annular wall between the overflow nipple and the inner annular wall of the primary defiector to form a liquid seal around the overflow nipple, the reux deflector having a l5 wall extending upwardly and outwardly to direct the vapor from the space around the inner annular wall, over and to the outside of the outer wall of the primary deilector.

9. In vapor and liquid contacting devices for use in fractionating towers. a cap comprising a plate having an upwardly extending overflow nipple and a plurality of upwardly extending and discharging discharge nipples, a. primary deector over` and around the discharge nipples comprising inner and outer annular depending walls, a reux deflector comprising an annular wall between the overflow nipple and the inner annular wall of the primary deflector and an extension to direct the vapor over to the outside of the primary deector, and means for delivering overflow from a superjacent cap onto the top of the reilux deflector so the overflow will be discharged over the vapor under the reflux deflector.

RAYMOND W. BIELFELDT. 

